junctionist
Senior Member
These developments were quite controversial in the neighbourhood, but incorporating space for artists and the bold architecture by BSN and Alsop must have won over people. Good architecture that demonstrates a lot creativity and bold style can be a compelling gesture in such a neighbourhood. To propose it and then switch to something banal can't be acceptable.
There's nothing wrong with handsome but restrained infill. The problem arises when no one steps up to the plate to deliver the handful of exceptional buildings that every neighbourhood should have. In the past, such buildings would often be churches or banks. Alsop and BSN's buildings would have been those needed gems. Developers should aspire to enhance a neighbourhood's sense of place and identity through architecture, design, and art, rather than just using it in the marketing for buildings that are ordinary and forgettable. Development should mean working toward beautiful city neighbourhoods, not just duds in pleasant but mundane "villages" in the city.
There's nothing wrong with handsome but restrained infill. The problem arises when no one steps up to the plate to deliver the handful of exceptional buildings that every neighbourhood should have. In the past, such buildings would often be churches or banks. Alsop and BSN's buildings would have been those needed gems. Developers should aspire to enhance a neighbourhood's sense of place and identity through architecture, design, and art, rather than just using it in the marketing for buildings that are ordinary and forgettable. Development should mean working toward beautiful city neighbourhoods, not just duds in pleasant but mundane "villages" in the city.
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